Daniel 4:13-17

4:13 While I was watching in my mind’s visions ¹  on my bed,

a holy sentinel ²  came down from heaven.

4:14 He called out loudly ³  as follows: ⁴ 

‘Chop down the tree and lop off its branches!

Strip off its foliage

and scatter its fruit!

Let the animals flee from under it

and the birds from its branches!

4:15 But leave its taproot ⁵  in the ground,

with a band of iron and bronze around it ⁶ 

surrounded by the grass of the field.

Let it become damp with the dew of the sky,

and let it live with ⁷  the animals in the grass of the land.

4:16 Let his mind ⁸  be altered from that of a human being,

and let an animal’s mind be given to him,

and let seven periods of time ⁹  go by for ¹⁰  him.

4:17 This announcement is by the decree of the sentinels;

this decision is by the pronouncement of the holy ones,

so that ¹¹  those who are alive may understand

that the Most High has authority over human kingdoms, ¹² 

and he bestows them on whomever he wishes.

He establishes over them even the lowliest of human beings.’

[4:13]  ¹ tn Aram “the visions of my head.”

[4:13]  ² tn Aram “a watcher and a holy one.” The expression is a hendiadys; so also in v. 23. This “watcher” is apparently an angel. The Greek OT (LXX) in fact has ἄγγελος (angelo", “angel”) here. Theodotion simply transliterates the Aramaic word (’ir). The term is sometimes rendered “sentinel” (NAB) or “messenger” (NIV, NLT).

[4:14]  ³ tn Aram “in strength.”

[4:14]  ⁴ tn Aram “and thus he was saying.”

[4:15]  ⁵ tn Aram “the stock of its root.” So also v. 23. The implication here is that although the tree is chopped down, it is not killed. Its life-giving root is spared. The application to Nebuchadnezzar is obvious.

[4:15]  ⁶ sn The function of the band of iron and bronze is not entirely clear, but it may have had to do with preventing the splitting or further deterioration of the portion of the tree that was left after being chopped down. By application it would then refer to the preservation of Nebuchadnezzar’s life during the time of his insanity.

[4:15]  ⁷ tn Aram “its lot be.”

[4:16]  ⁸ tn Aram “its heart.” The metaphor of the tree begins to fade here and the reality behind the symbol (the king) begins to emerge.

[4:16]  ⁹ sn The seven periods of time probably refer to seven years.

[4:16]  ¹⁰ tn Aram “over” (also in vv. 23, 25, 32).

[4:17]  ¹¹ tc The present translation follows an underlying reading of עַל־דִּבְרַת (’al-divrat, “so that”) rather than MT עַד־דִּבְרַת (’ad-divrat, “until”).

[4:17]  ¹² tn Aram “the kingdom of man”; NASB “the realm of mankind”; NCV “every kingdom on earth.”